Eddie McGuire vows to stop Port Adelaide push to wear prison bars jumper in future Showdowns
Port Adelaide has launched a petition to be able to wear the black and white prison bars jumper in future Showdowns. But Eddie McGuire says the move would be a breach of copyright.
Collingwood
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Collingwood has referred Port Adelaide’s attempts to wear its traditional prison bar jumper to the AFL legal department.
Club chairman David Koch said the petition would form part of an official submission that will be sent to the AFL.
However, Magpies president Eddie McGuire said further use of the jumper would be in breach of AFL copyright.
“We have great respect for Port Adelaide and we expect them to have a respect for the history and the tradition of the Collingwood Football Club,” he said on Footy Classified.
“Port Adelaide signed a petition and it was called a contract. They signed it twice. Coming into the competition and another one that has got my signature and Gill McLachlan’s signature and the president of Port Adelaide.
“Earlier this year we sat down in good faith, we shook hands and we wished them all the best and we said, ‘OK, one more go. One home showdown and that’s it’.
“Their president David Koch didn’t come to that meeting. Their CEO and one of their directors did. We worked it out and we said that’s fine. I don’t know if Kochie has decided this is going to be his big go to get his members on side, I don’t care.
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“The AFL own the copyright. I’ve referred it now to the AFL chairman and to the CEO and to the legal department of the AFL.
“They must defend the copyright because that is the central tenant of the commission when we put them in place.
“Otherwise they will be in breach of their own copyright and the constitution of the AFL. It is a simple solution. They say no and we move forward.”
According to Koch, the petition has already received support from all former Port Adelaide captains.
He also thanked Australian Football Hall of Fame members Kevin Sheedy, David Parkin, Malcolm Blight and Mike Sheahan for their public support.
“We don’t believe what we are asking for is unreasonable and we look forward to submitting our official proposal to the AFL soon,” Koch said.
“It is overwhelmingly clear that not only our members and supporters want to see this guernsey featured in showdowns on the national stage, but it is also evident that we have widespread support from supporters of other clubs right across the country.
“We are not asking to be the Magpies in the AFL.
“All we are asking is that we are able to wear our historic black-and-white prison bar guernsey in all showdowns moving forward.
McGuire proposed a simple solution for the Power, suggesting the club create a prison bar style jumper using different colours.
“If they want to have a prison bar jumper without black and white, knock themselves out. Do it with teal.”
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